New Skills in Time Management

Arriving in London one Friday in October, as it was raining, cold and windy I realised that I had to get a taxi rather than my intended ‘healthier’ option of walking the mile from King’s Cross station.  I’d also forgotten about an important job but managed to cram it in 30 minutes before the course started!  Heading back to my hotel later it was dark, windy and drizzling and the Gray’s Inn Road was gridlocked!  

The course?  180 Degree Time Management, delivered by Tanya Dotson of Synergy People; I couldn't have created a more perfect analogy! 

I’ve recently posted about clutter clearing my office and how this crossed over into clutter clearing other areas of my life…. but how do I clutter clear my head, I’ve got so many things to juggle as a housewife, mother, Image Consultant, Director? 

There are many solutions available on the market, coaches and trainers abound and without doubt they all have something to offer.   The course marketing material talked about hangover habits from University, which made me sit up and listen.  I’d trained myself to leave things until the last minute, cram and work to the pressure of deadlines, no doubt getting an adrenaline hit along the way!  So 180 Degree Time Management was about identifying the WAY I work then turning it around to use my habits to support me more effectively.  A different approach…. no-one has ever trained me in this.   Tanya’s next course  will be held in London on 28^th February and 1^st March.

If you’re well organised but want to learn how to use your Microsoft Office tools better, to be more efficient and effective, why not try the Training Surgery.  As well as providing traditional classroom style training and a ‘surgery’ format, this organisation has also created an online learning platform called myolli – which allows you to take control of your learning.  You can do it in your own time, at your own pace.  By learning simple ways of using Microsoft Office more effectively, learners will gain back the time that they spend wondering how to do things and the time they spend when things don’t quite work as they wish.

Back in London, I emerged from the hotel ready for day 2, having chosen to spend several hours that night restructuring my diary and inbox (the magic ‘below 10’ was achieved J) I was met by clear roads, quiet (calm) streets, blue skies and sunshine…. There is hope!

Beyond the Best there is a Better!

School mottos are a funny thing – they provide an opportunity for discussion, debate and criticism and yet we’re often able to recall them years later.  Mine has stayed with me all these years and ironically means more now with the ‘wisdom’ of experience than it did with the ‘innocence’ of youth. 

At some level this is paradoxical - if you have delivered your best, how can you say there is a better?  But of course there is - we build on the shoulders of our predecessors, our previous experiences and develop new ideas and dreams from them.

It also describes a key element in my approach to life – it’s an ongoing adventure where I learn new things, how to do something better, more effectively, more efficiently or more thoroughly in order to achieve more enjoyment.

Personal development, literature, leadership and coaching programmes abound where we can identify our strengths, values and life purpose.  Recently, I really enjoyed learning via a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), on The Secret Power of Brands.   Evidence suggests that brand led organisations are more successful.  Can we therefore extrapolate that people operating from their ‘purpose’ or ‘Why’ are more successful?  Simon Sinek’s ‘Ted Talk’ is a fabulous account of the power of identifying and operating from WHY.

 

I believe that people are empowered when they look their best.  We don’t enjoy what we don’t know how to do.  For me, being able to take control of one area of my life by understanding what to wear to look my best, was a revelation - and it’s an ongoing journey.  The visible transformation I underwent in the early days has evolved, developed and been improved on! 
 

I recently had the opportunity to revisit my old university, sharing my experience of finding jobs and recruiting with the current students. 

One of them asked

‘When did you know what you wanted to do?’

‘I still don’t!’ I replied laughingly. 

However, I do know that I want to make a difference to people, inspiring, challenging and leading them to make the most of themselves, so that they discover what’s important to them and step into their own power and ability to deliver on it. 

As in life, things evolve.  My old school has a new lease of life after bringing together the best of three schools and I consider my life a 'work in progress’.  I’m loving the journey of exploring and enabling others to explore where ‘beyond the best... the better leads'!

Blooming Monday ……

According to Mental Health Research UK, Monday 20 January 2014 is allegedly Blooming Monday ………the most depressing day of the year.  It falls in that space between Christmas and Spring, where both feel a long way away.  

Workplaces are often a sea of neutrals, grey, black and if you’re lucky, navy.  MHRUK refer to it as ‘sombre attire’ – and they’re not wrong!  However, I don’t agree that many workplaces require this sombre attire.  True, some do, but it doesn’t have to be sombre.  Even the more formal business environments allow opportunities to use light shades as alternatives to white for shirts and tops or to inject colour through ties and accessories, thereby creating a more colourful and stylish impact. 

The workplace is awash with neutrals because most people aren't certain which strong or bright colours suit them or know how to confidently combine and wear them in an interesting and appropriate way. 

Open your wardrobe, take a look - unless you’re a House of Colour client of long standing, you’ll probably see a range of neutrals punctuated by 1 or 2 colours and if you have more than a core of 6 colours, Pareto’s principle will almost certainly apply; this suggests you’ll actually wear only 20% of your wardrobe  80% of the time, meaning the world will see you in a limited colour spectrum of the 2 or 3 core colours you are most familiar/comfortable with.

In order to raise awareness about depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), MHRUK suggests employing the simple trick of wearing your brightest (and, horror of horrors, clashing!) clothes to work on Monday 20^th January. 

Mental health has affected many of us directly or indirectly either through friends, colleagues or family, so help MHRUK’s campaign by donating by text. For less than the price of your next cup of coffee, text BLOO22 £2 to 70070.  Or for a chance to win a Blooming Monday t-shirt, join the competition on their Facebook page.  The most spectacularly outlandish, neon, clashing outfit will win!

Maybe you can relate to my son's position; he would rather be the only child at a fancy dress party wearing his own clothes.  If this is the case, you can learn how to brighten up your look appropriately while maintaining the consistency required to retain/reinforce/support your authority in your work place.  If presented in line with your normal look, it will serve to promote your profile. 

So join us by getting rid of those dark winter clothes and injecting a splash of colour into the workplace, school or University next Monday!  It could just be an accessory, a bright scarf or tie, or you could try a totally new ‘work’ look.  You never know, if you take it steady, you may be able to maintain it for the whole of January.... encouraging everyone to brighten up generally!

We’ll be selecting and wearing our brightest, most cheerful colours, check out our Facebook page for a photo on Monday and enjoy a stylishly colourful time! 

New Year’s Resolution

‘Mum!’ said my 7 year old recently, ‘What’s that special thing you do at New Year?’

‘Party?’ I suggested

‘No! It’s a New Year something’

‘…a New Year’s resolution!’

‘Yes, that’s it.  Is that when you make a promise that you’re going to do something for the rest of the year?’

‘Something like that!’ I replied.  ‘Some people want to lose weight, go to bed earlier or have more fun.  What would yours be?’

‘To not go to school at all!’ he replied confidently!

Laughing in recognition of the sentiment, I suggested that since school started tomorrow, it might be more helpful to make a promise about something he would at least have a chance of keeping!

‘How about, enjoying school?  Since you have to go anyway, you may as well enjoy it!’

Then he surprised me by asking ‘Mum! What do you like about your work? What are you going to do every day at your work that you like?’

My response was ‘I love helping people who want to enjoy what they are doing more!’

This question should not come a surprise to me as I love asking people what they enjoy and my children are used to me asking questions such as ‘What was your funniest, biggest, silliest, nicest, best ……’

There are always plenty of opportunities to ask each other these questions but I love our 4 year old’s stock answer to ‘what did you like the best….?’ …….’ALL of it!’; how refreshing and what a goal in life – to enjoy ‘ALL OF IT’!